Posted on 09/14/2008 8:57:03 PM PDT by neverdem
When Claire, a pixie-faced 6-year-old in a school uniform, heard her older brother, James, enter the family’s Manhattan apartment, she shut her bedroom door and began barricading it so swiftly and methodically that at first I didn’t understand what she was doing. She slid a basket of toys in front of the closed door, then added a wagon and a stroller laden with dolls. She hugged a small stuffed Pegasus to her chest. “Pega always protects me,” she said softly. “Pega, guard the door.”
James, then 10, had been given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder two years earlier. He was attending a therapeutic day school in another borough and riding more than an hour each way on a school bus, so he came home after Claire. Until James’s arrival that April afternoon, Claire was showing me sketches she had drawn of her Uglydolls and chatting about the Web site JibJab, where she likes to watch goofy videos. At the sound of James’s footsteps outside her bedroom door, she flattened herself behind the barricade. There was a sharp knock. After a few seconds, James’s angry, wounded voice barked, “Forget it,” and the steps retreated.
“If it’s my brother, I don’t open it,” Claire said. “I don’t care if I’m being mean. . . . I never trust him. James always jumps out and scares me. He surprises me in a bad way.”
I left Claire’s bedroom and found James with his mother, Mary, in their spacious living room, which has a sidelong view of the Hudson River. James is a fair, athletic-looking boy with a commanding voice and a restless, edgy gait. He began reading aloud a story he wrote at school called “The Mystery of My Little Sister.” It involved James discovering Claire almost dead, rescuing her and forming a...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Those used to beat the Devil out of those kind of kids, now they ask Oprah why the kids can’t explore their “boundaries” better.
It’s just sad. My son is autistic and has rages, and we are working on trying a new medicine regime, so I understand some of what they are going through. These doctors should never prescribe Ritalin for these kids. Two different doctors tried to put my son on stimulants, and he freaked out on them. The only other thing I would try to do is to look at the kids’ diets. It’s not the only thing that will help, but it might help a little bit. My 4 year old is NUTS when she has artificial food coloring. I thought we were going to have to take her to a psychiatrist. Once we found the food coloring problem and took her off, she’s a new kid.
Sounds like a job for Nanny 911
I couldn't read the whole thing because there was too much pathology there. Where was the father?
Maybe I shouldn't comment as I'm not a professional. Lord have mercy is right.
But the fact is, my stepdad would have FLATTENED any kid who acted like that. And I can't help but think that no kid would act like that around him after that one time. I know I was kind of a brat when he came along, and one day I went too far and... well, the rest is a blur. But I sure never pulled any stunts again. Ditto my younger sister.
Well... I guess that's all I'll say about it.
“James took the pill. Then he closed the door to block out the sound of his sister. “You open this door, Claire, I’ll pull out something really sharp on you,” he said.”
I was a little asshole when I was a kid but if I’d said that to my little brother my dad would have beaten me senseless. It might not fix how screwed up this kid is but a belt and a sack of oranges would go a long way.
Interesting info. I’m gung-ho for behavior modification and believe and teach my kids that our brains and biology belong to us, not vice versa.
But the absolute commitment and devotion that those parents show to those kids the article discusses is amazing. We can all shake our fingers and meet out our wisdom, but those parents also exemplify unconditional love. It is moving.
My prayers are with them.
Agreed. My mom was bipolar so I am familiar with the swings - a mad ascent into irrationality that would eventually require hospitalization followed by descent into darkest gloom. Never was there a hint of the behavior mentioned here. Sounds more like an extremely spoiled child who enjoys ruling the roost.
“I would be crying, Claire would be crying and my husband would be crying.”
Sounds like Daddy is your average metrosexual wannabe incapable of controlling his son’s behavior. At least the kid is off to boarding school....for now.
Say, doesn’t this sound like the beginning plot of a serial killer movie?
I met one of these rules the roost kids a few years back. It was a sight to behold. It was at a party at the house of a coworker of my husband. The co-owner of their place of employment showed up way late. His then 8 year old daughter looked mad. She had her arms folded and a scowl on her face. I watched as this man and his wife literally pleaded with her so they could stay at the party. He appeased her by setting the alarm on his watch to go off at a certain time—only a few minutes later—maybe 30 or so, and they would leave then. Well, when the time was up they left just like the little girl had insisted.
I refuse to go to NYT site so I’ll just ask; Where’s Daddy?
He’s there.
Some time in the Boy Scouts wouldn't hurt a bit either. Get him out of the city to see the real world so that he'll know what it is to be hot and cold and maybe even hungry.
Some time in the Boy Scouts wouldn't hurt a bit either. Get him out of the city to see the real world so that he'll know what it is to be hot and cold and maybe even hungry.
Some time in the Boy Scouts wouldn't hurt a bit either. Get him out of the city to see the real world so that he'll know what it is to be hot and cold and maybe even hungry.
There is no “special education world” for special needs children once they graduate from high school. The guiding precept must always be “how can I teach this child to fit into the real world”. How will they deal with bosses, co-workers, family, friends, neighbors? When they fly into a “rage”, in the real world, either the police, or a bigger stronger bar patron, will knock their block off. There are some behaviors that just cannot be tolerated, period—threatening to gut your little sister is one of them. Or threatening a parent.
Sometimes it's a not a bad thing for children to understand that their rages can provoke a controlled version of that emotion in their parents. It's the way human emotions work in the real world.
I’m reading many of the comments here, and many are not recognizing we’re talking about a serious mental illness, not just a spoiled kid. I’ve known families who were abused for generations by a bipolar. These folks can be sadistic, and they act out of a total sense of entitlement. In one case I know very well, the man had abused and alienated his entire family, including having abused his little sister when they were young. He had an endless series of stories about how he was such a great guy but for some strange reason all these people hated him.
In another case I know, a bipolar woman was telling people her brother in law was molesting his children. She thought that was a hilarious joke to play on him.
I’ve also read of bipolars killing family members.
To put it bluntly, they are seriously crazy and can be dangerous.
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The younger sister was truly being abused. She deserved to be protected. The parents should have sent the older brother away long before rather than subject their younger child to such a dreadful environment. Difficult decision? Maybe. But keeping an older, bigger, aggressive, jealous, out-of-control child around a smaller, weaker child is neglect at best and unwitting abuse at worst. Remember that kid in Florida who “accidentally” killed the little girl he was babysitting?
It’s interesting that when I was growing up kids didn’t have the kinds of behavior problems they have now. I wonder why? It was unheard of. Maybe it’s that society wasn’t as sick as it is now. Something is really wrong, and don’t tell me that some kids just have problems. Something is going on but I can’t exactly say what. I know one thing though, people were normal back then and most people agreed on how things were supposed to be done. I think part of the problem is that liberals second guess everything. Be it the teacher or the parent, the liberal expert always has a better idea. But their ideas stink because they don’t acknowlege God into the equation. So their solution is to drug the kids when their ideas don’t work. Maybe a good old fashioned butt kick would work better, but the liberals wouldn’t allow that.
“At one point Claire appeared in the next room, and James hurled a ball at her, missing. Claire shrieked as if she’d been hit, screaming, “What did you do that for?”
“Wow, I’m scared,” James said. “I’m scared, right, Claire?” He threw the ball at her again, then asked, “Want to have family time?”
I’ve personally seen this in over psychoanalyzed families. The child is acting out, hurting and frightening other people, and the parents are soothing the child with “You are upset” or “You are frightened” or some such twaddle.
I’ve never seen good come from such treatments. That poor child Claire is going to be lucky if she grows up halfway normal.
“Claire, you’re overreacting.”
Oh no she’s not. Her brother needs to be institutionalized. Her parents are incredibly indulgent and ignorant, and the little girl is the one who bears the brunt of it all.
Give me a week with him. Hell a day.
I fear for that little girls life.
What's that they say? It's all about choices. It's the parents that need the help; they've chosen to be bad parents. They've chosen to not discipline their children, prefering instead to shift their responsibilities to the courts and the taxpayers to bear the burden of their social maleficience. Typical libtards.
The earth is bipolar
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